1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention is directed to a cold start burner that may be used to prewarm components of an engine such as, for example, to prewarm engine exhaust upstream of a catalytic converter.
2. Description of the Background Art
Catalytic converters typically employ a Platinum or a Rhodium coated webbing which significantly reduces the expelled pollutants at a minimum exhaust temperature of 230.degree. to 250.degree. C. The pollutants are nevertheless present, and particularly so in the case of small vehicles which use gasoline with a high oil content and which have a low exhaust temperature. The amount of pollutants escaping past the catalytic converters is even higher in the cold starting phase and, particularly, in two-stroke motors.
One conventional way of reducing the amount of pollutants has been to use a supplementary burner which is built into the exhaust system upstream of the catalytic converter. The burner is started when the vehicle is turned on, i.e., at ignition, and preheats the exhaust from the engine upstream of the catalytic converter.
The above noted conventional preheaters, such as for example, those described in U. S. Pat. No. 1,346,154 and the German Public Record DE 3835939 are complicated and, therefore, expensive, as well as being troublesome in operation.